December Days - 12.31.10

And so another cycle of my walk through the holiday season has come to a close.  December 31st has its own tradition since moving to Indiana, in that it is the day we celebrate our Indiana Christmas!  We don't take any presents for our immediate family to Oregon with us (the trip itself is really the present) but we save December 31st after we've come home for our own little Christmas celebration.

Kyron enjoying his first cap guns

Since I didn't have to work we were able to get up in the morning and treat the day as we would if was actually December 25th.  We take a traditional family photo of all of us in our pajamas, eat breakfast while we open stockings, and before we open presents we read through the Christmas story.

This year, however, we didn't read the Christmas story from the Bible. One of the kids had gotten the The Brick Testament: The Christmas Story as a gift and we read the story from The Brick Testament instead, taking time to appreciate at the pictures.  If you're not familiar with The Brick Testament, it is a collection of stories from the Bible illustrated entirely with Legos.

All in all it was a great Indiana Christmas.  A few simple gifts to share, but great family time as the highlight.  The funniest moment of the day came when we were reading the Christmas story and we got to this picture and part of the Christmas story.....you can imagine the questions and quotes we have from Kyron on the topic and the picture itself!

December Days - 12.30.10

Last year I did a blog posting about my personal Top Ten Favorite Christmas Movies so I decided this year to create a list of my Top Ten Favorite Christmas Albums/CDs.

First, let me explain the importance of Christmas music in my family.  I have blogged before about how much I like Christmas music but this love was instilled in me by my Mother.  She taught me that it's acceptable to listen to Christmas music anytime of the year, why wouldn't she when you consider the message of most of the songs?  I'm not talking about Santa Claus coming to town or jingling bells, but songs about Christ's birth, Peace on Earth, and Goodwill to Men.  Those are themes any parent would want their child hearing about year round. So before I share my list let me publicly thank my Mom for going against the flow and having Christmas music playing in our house beyond the holiday season.  Thanks Mom!

I have over 100 different Christmas Albums/CD's with a wide variety of music and styles, but these are the 10 that jump to the top of my list as my personal favorites.

10) Faith Hill - Joy to the World: It's a well done collection of classic Christmas songs

9) GLAD - An Acapella Christmas: It's out of print now and not even out there to download, but this one has been a family favorite since 1994!

8) Handel's Messiah - A Soulful Celebration: Handel's Messiah is a classic piece of music and this soulful celebration is a different and fun twist on Handel's masterpiece.  The Hallelujah Chorus in particular is great!

7) Rescue - The First Christmas: Another acapella collection, but this is from a group of guys my sister is friends with in Oregon.  A great collection of original music and original arrangements of some classics.  Even without the family connection, this would be a favorite of mine.

6) Michael Buble - Let it Snow-EP: my only critique of this collection is that I wish there were more songs.  It's primarily a collection of ballads, but they're solid renditions of each classic song.

5) James Taylor - At Christmas: If you like James Taylor, you'll really like this album. If you don't like his music then you might agree with the main review on iTunes.  I happen to really like James Taylor music.

4) Harry Connick Jr. - When My Heart Finds Christmas: The one is Harry from the 90's and if you like his pseudo-jazz sound from the 90's you'll enjoy this one.  The title track is probably the best song.

3) Steven Curtis Chapman - All I Really Want for Christmas: The was SCC's second holiday release and it's primarily his versions of classic Christmas songs with a few originals thrown in, but they're great songs.  Especially All I Really Want which tells the story of Christmas from the perspective of an orphan child.  I had a new baby again when this album was released and I remember listening to that song the first time and being so thankful for my kids and my family.

2) Avalon - Joy: There isn't a bad track in this collection.  It's much more upbeat and energetic than most others on my list but Avalon put together a collection of music that any Holiday music lover would be proud to own.

1) Steven Curtis Chapman - Music of Christmas
In our house, this album is exactly what the title says it is.  This album gets more play than any other on the iPod during the holiday season.  It's primarily original music by SCC, with a couple traditional classics thrown in.  I think this one has been so special to Marcy and Me because it came out right as we were celebrating our first Christmas as a married couple and the song Christmas is All in the Heart connected with where we were in life.

That's my list and I'm sticking to it - for now.  Many of these have been on my list for a long time so it will take something new and amazing to bump any off.

I'd love to hear what your personal favorite Christmas CD's are.  I am always looking for suggestions to continue to build my collection.    

December Days - 12.29.10

My sleepy kids waiting at the airport

I don't think my kids have the type of 'special needs' the sign in the picture is in actual reference to, but on travel days like today, the whole family has a history of special needs.

Thankfully though, despite a 4am wake-up time today was actually a pretty good travel day.  The kids all did great on the planes and through the airports.

We only had one really stressful experience occur when we were in the car getting ready to leave the Indianapolis airport and Caeden calmly told me that he had forgotten his iPod Touch on the plane.  I raced back inside the airport to the Southwest counter and told them we had left an iPod on our plane and asked if there was anything she could do to see if someone could check the pocket of the seat Caeden was sitting in.  She called right down to the gate and someone had actually turned it in!  I had to go back through security and down to the gate, but we got his iPod back safe and sound.

Big shout-out and fist-bump to the honest traveler who turned it in!  You saved the holidays for a little eight year old boy.

December Days - 12.28.10

There are no pictures to share today.  It's our last day in Oregon before a very early flight tomorrow.

We are so blessed with a great life in Indiana, but there are times like today when I struggle to remember what was so bad about our life in Oregon with family close by that made us (me) seek something different.  When I think about it for a moment though I am reminded that it wasn't that life wasn't good, but that we felt a calling and something pulling us to be in Indiana.

I knew then and still believe today that God had/has something special in store for us in Indiana.  That move four years ago was more about obedience than opportunity, and that's a great lesson for my kids to learn.  As hard as leaving wonderful family behind is, there are and have been many incredible blessings for us in Indiana.  As questions and doubts creep into my mind, it's these blessings that remind me why it's important to be obedient and how God has already used our family.

So, yes, we all leave Oregon very sad from tearful good-byes, but heading home to Indiana brings a different kind of comfort.  It's just the distance between the different that makes it so tough; and I wish being obedient didn't make my family cry.

December Days - 12.27.10

On many occasions I have made my affection for Tillamook Cheese widely known.  I've been a Fan of the Month, blogged numerous times about my favorite varieties, and even been a Tillamook Cheese evangelist in the midwest where most think it's best origins lie north in Wisconsin.  In my world though, nothing beats  Tillamook Cheese.

This post isn't about cheese though.  I want to dedicate this post to another Tillamook Creamery favorite, their ice cream.  In my experience, this has proven much harder to find outside of Oregon, it certainly isn't available in Indiana.  So on our annual trips home to Oregon, a healthy dose of Tillamook Ice Cream is a must.  The words on the label call it 'Premium Ice Cream' but that may not say enough. I would suggest that it change to 'SUPremium Ice Cream'.

Here are my top ten favorite flavors (in no particular order) from their nearly 40 to choose from, you'll notice none of these are types of cheese so you can hold back your cheddar flavored ice cream jokes....

Oregon Strawberry - I'm drawn to this one in the summer months. Not your typical strawberry pink strawberry ice cream, this one has big chunks of real Oregon strawberries.  Want a taste of Oregon in the summertime? This is it!

Old-Fashioned Vanilla - totally lives up to it's name.

Caramel Toffee Crunch - First time I had this one I thought 'Heath bar and vanilla ice cream, ok.' Wrong!  Yes, the vanilla ice cream is the base, but mixed in are caramel, cookies, coconut, chocolate, toffee, pecans, and almonds.  Goes best with a good cup of coffee.

Udderly Chocolate - I grew up knowing this as Brown Cow. It's my father-in-law's favorite and a staple in my in-laws home.  White Chocolate, Milk Chocolate and chocolate flakes - YUM!

Rocky Road - They use Almonds in this favorite!  Ok, maybe this one is my father-in-law's favorite....

Mint Chocolate Chip - It's a classic flavor done just right.

Marionberry Pie - A combination of two flavors from home: Tillamook Ice Cream and Marionberries. Even has chunks of pie crust in it to wound out the experience!

Peppermint Candy - this is a holiday favorite in our family.

Coffee Almond Fudge - The name says it all.  My favorite amongst the favorites.

Chocolate Peanut Butter - Maybe this one is my favorite...Creamy chocolate ice cream with ribbons of creamy peanut butter flowing through it.

If you've never had this ice cream and the opportunity comes knocking on your door, do yourself a favor and answer that door!  

December Days - 12.26.10

I wrote a few days ago about the opportunity to be around my little niece and how much fun it has been to watch her play and the memories it brings back from my own kids at that age.  This trip home has also given me the opportunity to spend some time with my sister's little boy who is only 6 months old and really hasn't had any introduction to me or my family, beyond a few video calls the past few months.

We had to prep the kids before seeing him that he was likely to be pretty shy and not want any of us to hold him much; it may take a few days for him to warm up to new family, so we thought.

What actually happened, was Marcy was the first to get to him and pick him up, give a couple hugs before handing him off.  Immediately he looked at me, then to Makela and reach with both arms to Makela instead.  With a huge smile, Makela took him from my arms and gave him a big hug.  He took her face in his two little hands and started kissing her face!  So much for all the prep work and assumptions we had about taking time to get used to us.  Caleb was next in line and he did the exact same thing to him! It was all very cute and very funny!

We've had a great time with him and as great as it has been it is sad that we won't get to see him more often.  It does make me thankful for video calls and simple technological wonders like camera phones, not mention my sister who does a great job of utilizing both to send pictures and keep us connected.

December Days - 12.25.10

One of our favorite family traditions is Christmas pajamas.  Not that they are Christmas themed, just that we all get new pajamas for Christmas and they typically match in some form or fashion.  We open our Christmas gifts on Christmas day, but the one exception is the Christmas pajamas we all open on Christmas Eve.

It's not a unique tradition, I know many other families that do the same thing or something very similar but it's a tradition that my family had growing up and Marcy and I have adopted for the past 16 holiday seasons.

This year, Grandma Simpson provided the pajamas for everyone (Thank you Grandma!) but we had a slight breakdown in communication and for a brief time it looked as though we would not have the pajamas available for opening on Christmas Eve.  Marcy was filled with anxiety that this important family tradition wouldn't be continued this year, but Christmas was saved when we found the pajamas and were able to let everyone open them.

Overall, we had a great Christmas celebration with lots of family and lots of food.  As today comes to an end, I feel very fortunate to have so many blessings in our lives.

Merry Christmas from the Kaopuiki 'Ohana (family)!

December Days - 12.24.10

Today is Christmas Eve, a fact by itself that makes today a pretty big deal.  In our house, however, we have even more reason to celebrate because it is Marcy's birthday!

Marcy loves to make a big deal about birthdays, mostly the kids', and I have a suspicion this comes from a lifetime filled with having her own birthday overlooked because of the biggest holiday of the year.  Unfortunately, I do a poor job of making the day standout for her beyond all of the family events we are involved in as part of the holiday season.  I did learn, however, very early in our relationship that birthday and Christmas gifts are not to be combined - an incident that may by itself be a humorous story to blog about.

Last year, I asked the kids to describe their mom in 10 words.  This year, I asked them a different question: What do you love most about your Mom?  Here are some of their answers...

• Kyron: "She let's me snuggle with her at bedtime."
• Caeden: "She's my mom, I just love her."
• Makela: "She's always smiling, usually."
• Caleb: "She is a really good cook!"
• Caeden: "She loves watching me play sports."
• Makela: "She's my shopping buddy."
• Kyron: "She let's me watch Ellen with her."

I don't know that I can keep my answer so succinct or pin point one or two reasons like the kids can in answering this question.  I have known Marcy for most of my life and while I know her better than anyone else, I continue to learn more about her each year.  She is an amazing mom who gives her all to her kids and anything they are involved in and she is a tremendous support and my biggest cheerleader when I need it.  She is simply the best person I have ever met.

So, Happy Birthday Marcy!  I hope this next year is full of greater adventures, more blessings, deeper relationships, and more smiles than frustrations. :-)  

December Days - 12.23.10

Today was the 3rd annual Red vs. Green family basketball game.  This is something that us boys in the family started a few years ago and it has turned into a heated family competition.  The build-up involves months worth of planning and organization as we arrange schedules and a facility to host this family event.

This year, Marcy's Dad retired from the game and the Red team had a big free agent signing with Kyron joining the team as a player.  The game was tightly contested through 4 quarters with Caleb leading the Green team in scoring and Caeden leading the Red team.  Kyron proved his value on the court scoring more points in his first game than his Dad and Uncle Travis did combined!

At the end of regulation, the score was tied 40-40 and we were prepared to call it a tie, but after some negotiation from the boys we agreed for a single overtime period.  Five minutes later we were still tied at 47-47 when the final buzzer went off.

Our boys are starting to take this game a little too serious and all the adults were nervous about the potential of driving home with someone from the losing team in their car.  I think we've decided we need to change the format of this game and find another family we can play against.  That way our family can be united as we win or lose. :-)

Big shout out to Uncle Travis for providing the custom team shirts for the game and to Kyron who was chosen as the game MVP for not only his 12 points in scoring, but his "just having fun" attitude.  The video below shows the consensus play of the game by Kyron.

December Days - 12.22.10

Those who spend any time around me know that I have a creative side of my person that I will occasionally let out to tackle various projects, hobbies, or just as a way of relaxing.

Out Family Christmas Card:
http://christmas.hawaiianhoosiers.com

One of my creative outlets that has grown over the past several years is our family Christmas Card.  It's turned into a sort of tradition since it started four years ago when we wanted to use our Christmas Card and Christmas letter as a means of allowing our family and friends in Oregon/Washington a way to experience, in a greater sense than a standard letter and card could convey, how we were doing in the midwest.  I also found the exercise of creating the cards a great creative outlet for myself.  So, beginning in 2007 we started a combo Christmas Photo Card and Website/Online Letter as our family's version of the holiday cards so many people send.

As it's evolved over the years (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010), part of my motivation has changed  because I am enjoying the challenges of coming up with ideas.  It's not for everyone, but I like creating something someone else doesn't have and that does a good job of conveying our family's personality.  Admittedly, they aren't even the best cards I've seen but they do represent our family, the Hawaiian Hoosiers.

I have about 6 more years worth of ideas and designs already floating around in my head, so I may need to start thinking of expanding beyond just a family Christmas Card and start thinking about other holidays we can send cards for. :-)

And while it is a creative outlet for me, the true intent really is to provide a different way to simply say to those we love and care about, Merry Christmas and God's blessings on a Happy New Year!

December Days - 12.21.10

Last year I blogged about the family 'argument' between my brother, sister, and myself about which of us is truly my Mom's favorite child.  I've come to accept that the favorite is not me, but when I arrived at my parent's house today with my family it was just further confirmation of my place in the family.

The view from my Parent's front porch this morning.

We pulled into the driveway and Marcy was the first out of the car and up to the door.  The kids were next to pile out of the car and I took my time as the designated pack mule carrying all the bags and stuff we brought with us.  As I walked up towards the front door I smiled as I saw my Mom hugging Makela and as I adjusted the load I was carrying I prepared to reach out and with a semi-free arm give my Mom a big Christmas hug.

All of a sudden, the door shut in face and I was left alone on the front porch.  I did the polite thing and rang the door bell, waiting for permission to come in.  Thank goodness it was a warm 40 degrees outside! :-)

When my Mom came to the door we were both already laughing about the incident and she was claiming she didn't see me outside and thought I was still at the car - a likely excuse!

I did get that Christmas hug after all and had a great day of visiting and eating my Mom's awesome cooking.  It was such a good day, that when I left this evening I left knowing that at least for today and despite how the visit started off, I am the Favorite!

December Days - 12.20.10

Tonight, the boys in the family were fortunate to be able to go to the Portland Trailblazers game, courtesy of Marcy's brother Jason.  We had great seats just a few rows from the Blazers' bench and were able to be up close to all the action on the court.

The Blazers dominated the Milwaukee Bucks in this game, and the boys still haven't stopped talking about how much fun the night was.  The Blazers were hitting a lot of three pointers and all the boys really got into the "3 Goggles" the Blazer players have made popular this season.

I just have to hope Kyron doesn't pull out the "3 Goggles" when he makes a basket in his own basketball game!

December Days - 12.19.10

One of the joys of being around family during the holidays is getting the chance to spend some time with nieces and nephews we don't get the chance to watch grow up on a daily basis.  They seem to grow in what seems like bigger steps than the gradual growth we experience on a daily basis with our own kids.  I know our brothers and sisters feel the same way about our kids.

A little girl and her dogs

My own kids are past that toddler stage and they seem to be moving further and further from it at lightening speed, so it's been fun to be around my three year old niece and be reminded of when my own kids were at that stage.  I don't know if it's easier or harder when they are that little, but it sure is fun to reminisce about the funny things Makela used to do at that age or how my niece's obsession with her little toy dogs mirrors Kyron's own, at that age.  We smile and talk about how cute and funny it is and then someone steps on one of those little hard plastic dogs with their bare feet and you quickly remember why you're glad they grow out of these stages.  It doesn't take too long though before you see that little girl playing with her dogs again and your foot stops hurting and you just get caught up trying to slow down time and enjoy the moment, knowing you're going to blink soon and it will be gone.

 

December Days - 12.18.10

Coming to Oregon for the Christmas holiday has become a great tradition for the family. Within that tradition we've started several traditions that have become favorites for Marcy and I.

Sunrise over Nahalem Bay, the view from the Beach House

One of these is an adults only weekend trip to the Oregon Coast with Marcy's brother and sister and their spouses. The kids get to stay with Bumpy and Grandma for the weekend doing lots of fun stuff while the parents all get a break to relax and have fun without the worries of entertaining and watching the kids.

For what is supposed to be a relaxing weekend, I feel like we pack a bunch of stuff into two days, but by far and away my favorite part is just the chance to visit, share, and laugh with Marcy, Jason, Kim, Lisa, and Travis. Whether we are playing tourist in small coastal towns, playing board games, shopping, or eating at our favorite spot on the OR coast (The Lumberyard in Cannon Beach) I love the chance to just spend the time with our family.

I have been fortunate to have been part of Marcy's family even when we were just friends as kids, so I have known Lisa and Jason real well for a very long time as we have all grown up together. It is truly awesome that we have all stayed close and enjoy each other's company so much. I am a little sad that this weekend is winding to a close but comforted by the fact we are already planning next year's getaway.

December Days - 12.17.10

Late last night I went to turn on my MacBook Pro and nothing happened.  Panic went through my body as I am all the way across the country and was depending upon my MacBook to help keep me connected and to get some work done as well.  I had never encountered this type of problem before, but I hit the Mac support forums looking for possible causes and solutions.  It got even worse when everything I was ready was pointing to a problem that would require a significant repair process.

I continued my due diligence to determine the cause of the problem and eventually ended up at a Apple Repair store.  I described the problem and everything I had done to try and fix it to the technician I was speaking with.  He nodded an understanding, held the Macbook in his hands, turned it over to inspect the outside and underside, opened it up and pressed the power button.

Right before me, my own little Christmas miracle occurred. The machine powered up exactly as it was supposed to and has always done. No problems at all.  I was stunned!  The technician ran a detailed scan on the machine and system and everything checked out exactly as it should.

It was a strange situation, but I left the store much happier and thankful I wasn't going to have to go through a week long repair process.  I know there are greater miracles occurring in the world, but I'm thankful for the Christmas miracle I was given today.

December Days - 12.16.10

Homecomings are always interesting events for me. There is a lot of anticipation leading up to the trip, stress around getting ready to travel (especially with four kids in tow), and then the emotion of seeing family again that you've been missing so much. We love living in Indiana, but being separated from all our family is tough.

It's family that make coming to Oregon so great for us. Yes, the landscape is beautiful (we
appreciate that much more since we've been away) and I look forward to visiting McMenamins for a pint of Rubinator and a Captain Neon burger, but our homecomings are entirely about family. Marcy and I have talked about how we want to take the kids on vacations to new places, but all they want to do is come to Oregon to see family. It isn't lost on me how blessed we are to have a situation where our families (both sides) are so close and important parts of our lives where we want to be with them.

The party began tonight when we arrived in Oregon and will continue for a week or so while we're in town. I am sure that eventually we'll look forward to going home to Indiana, our dogs, and the comfort of our own beds but for now there is a great peace and comfort in being back amongst our family.

December Days 12.15.10

I've hi-jacked my Dad's blog because I have an important message to share. There are other kids in our family besides Kyron!

Sure he's cute and funny, but it's just because he's the youngest and he's supposed to be cute and funny right now.  He's easy to write about because it's all just cute and funny stuff!  Some of your older kids are older and wiser and can help you write about more important topics.  Don't just spend your time trying to embarrass us, share your own funny stories. Blog about the time you blamed us kids for dropping and denting your iPad, and then realized you had done it, not us.  That's a good story.  Or spend the time to answer the question everyone wants to know, which one of us is your favorite?  Everyone knows it's me!

You can have your blog back now Phil Dunphy.

December Days - 12.14.10

In our house, when we have some exciting event to look forward to we don't measure the time in a 'days until' fashion.  It's always measured in 'sleeps', that is the number of times we will go to sleep before the anticipated day or event.

For the last couple weeks, we've been counting down sleeps until we get to go home to Oregon and visit family for the holidays.  This countdown has been especially tough on Kyron and all he has been talking about for the past 3 days/sleeps is when we get to go to Oregon.  He's even been in tears because he doesn't think it is coming fast enough.

He gave his mom the solution this morning though when he wanted to continue sleeping at nearly 10am in the morning: "If I just stay in bed I can sleep until we go to Oregon, then it's only 1 sleep!"

You've got to love the mind and reasoning of a 5 year old!

December Days - 12.13.10

Christmas time is always cookie time in our house and for several generations on my side of the family that means my Grandmother's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.

These are not your ordinary oatmeal chocolate chip cookies though.  This is a family recipe handed down on my Mom's side of the family for generations.  They are a connection to the past, a shared bond between family crossing space and time, and a little bit of heaven in every bite.  I've taken these cookies to work before and had them quickly disappear off my desk as people clamored to get a sample.  We've made them for parties, gatherings, and events and rarely had extra to bring home.

But, before you even think about emailing me to ask for the recipe though, it's important to understand that this is for all intended purposes, a secret family recipe.  In all the cook books my Mom contributed to while growing up, non included Grandma's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.  Corner my mom on how many people she has shared the recipe with and her answer will confirm the recipe's secret status: (1) Kelsey (my sister), (2) Marcy (my wife), and (3) Erika (my sister-in-law).  The list ends there.  Tell me that doesn't qualify as secret recipe status!

December Days - 12.12.10

A little boy is a lot for a dad to think about.  I remember how before Caleb was born I felt like I had figured out how to handle a baby girl (Oh, how little I knew back then!), and the thought of having a little boy really stressed me out.  Most of my friends have told me that as young fathers they felt most nervous about parenting a baby girl, but for me, I couldn't stop thinking about the huge responsibility that comes with raising a boy: teaching him to respectful of others, modeling what it means to be a man, and - if I'm really honest - fearful that the result would be a reflection of myself I wouldn't want to see.  How do I instill my strengths as a man, husband, father, and son in my own little boy and protect him from absorbing and reflecting all my faults?  I haven't figured all that out yet and as with much in life, I am still on that journey.

Dad and his Mini-Me

As we celebrate Caleb's birthday today though, I can't express how proud of this kid I am.  Sure, he drives his Mom and me nuts sometimes but that's mostly because we're faced with that reflection of our own imperfections.  Most often though, he gives us so much to be thankful for and proud of.  He spent much of his first five years being referred to as my 'Mini-Me' but he is truly becoming his own person, and a great one at that!

Happy Birthday Caleb!

Pictures from the hospital when Caleb was born, eleven years ago today. I recognize this is a picture from a stage in my life most of my friends today never experienced: the mustache days.  All I can ask is that as the jokes start coming, be gentle. :-)

One of my all time favorite pictures of Caleb.
It's how every boy wants to play with his Sister's dollhouse

Happy Birthday Caleb!

December Days - 12.11.10

I have officially arrived at that point in life where I am more embarrassing to my two older kids than I am a cool guy to hang out with.  It's sort of a tough pill to swallow at first because I guess I had visions that my kids would always think their Dad was the coolest thing out there.  I'm not sure why I thought that would be the case because I certainly went through a phase with my own Dad where it wasn't cool to hang out with him.  It was though, just a phase and I later came around to appreciate the great qualities my Dad has and yes, how cool it can be to just hang with him every now and then.

It's with this experience and knowledge that I don't mind doing silly stuff in public that polarizes my kids - Kyron thinks I'm hilarious and Makela/Caleb want to crawl in a hole.  I know sooner or later, they'll all come around to seeing how good I look in my Buffalo Wild Wings hat, but for now this picture says it all.

December Days - 12.10.10

Last year Marcy and Makela decorated a tree with a Portland Trailblazers theme.  They went all out ordering special ornaments and ribbon, and did the whole set-up and decoration when us boys were out of the house.  Unfortunately, when we got home to see the results of their work, I guess we didn't respond as enthusiastically as they had hoped because they decided then and there that they wouldn't do it again - especially if we didn't appreciate it.

So, fast forward to this year and sure enough we don't have a Portland Trailblazer tree.  We do have one that celebrates the women in our house though.  It's very pink and all-around girly.  It's not a big tree, just a simple artificial one, but I have to admit....I like this one better than the Trailblazer tree.  Not that I didn't apreciate last year's theme - I really did!  I think I just like this one because it does celebrate the girls in our house.  There is so much stuff that our family does centered around the boys and their interests and activities that we need to do more for the girls.  If something as simple as a tree is a way we can start, I'm all for it.  Like the tree, the girls make our house a happier home.

December Days - 12.9.10

Her name is Savory.

She insists on waking me up every morning around 5am.

She sheds way too much.

She does this annoying thing where she shakes her head and her ears make a loud flapping sound.

She absolutely loves Marcy and insists on being wherever she is.

Her favorite place to lay down is directly on your feet.

She makes a mess when she eats - frankly it's disgusting.

She isn't nearly as energetic as other labs.

She has terrible gas.

If it wasn't for the other dog, we'd say she was a good of a dog as anyone could ever ask for.

December Days - 12.8.10

We've spent most of the last few weeks focused on all the boys' basketball games, but tonight was Makela's turn to take the spotlight.  We haven't been around a lot of middle school bands in our days, but the band program at Clay Middle School is very impressive.

Makela plays the clarinet and seems to really enjoy being part of something bigger than herself.  She loves both her band teachers and always has fun stories to share with everyone at home.

Tonight the entertainment was great on stage, and enhanced by the brothers in the audience.  Whether it was Caleb goofing around and shouting to Makela from the audience in an attempt to both embarrass her and make her smile or Kyron dancing to the songs, everyone had a great time.

Quote of the night came from Kyron though after the 8th grade band finished warming up.  He simply turned to his mom and in a not very quiet voice said "That sounded terrible!"

December Days - 12.7.10

Seven days of blogging in my December Days series and now a third blog about Kyron!  The other kids are starting to voice their jealousy, but I don't think any of them would want to be the focus of this entry!

One of the tough things about growing up in our house is that sooner or later you are bound to have a picture taken that you immediately want destroyed.  The older kids are able to create such a stink about it they often times will win out, regardless of how great of a candid shot I think I got.  The younger kids, don't have the same pull (yet) and I am able to capture moments like I did tonight.  (A couple years ago I took a similar shot of Caeden)

Poor Kyron is sick tonight with a fever, body aches, and feeling like he may throw up.  Mom is out at a MOPS meeting so that leaves me as the primary caregiver and comforter.  Not sure that even taking this picture is the best way to demonstrate my sympathy for him, but it certainly captured the moment and his face says the rest.

An hour after this picture was taken, he's curled up in a blanket on the couch next to me asleep for the moment. I have a feeling I'm in for a long night though....

December Days - 12.6.10

Today had all the potential to be a terrible, no-good, very bad day. It didn't start that way, but when my car died on me and then wouldn't start again, it took a bad turn...

I had to call Marcy to come get me, which she was more than happy to do after she finished her workout and then visited with a friend for a little while.

We got the car running again, took it to CARx and dropped it off with our fingers crossed. As she drove me to work, I played out the scenarios of which Christmas gifts I had purchased (for myself) that I would be returning in order to pay for the car repairs. My day went on and I heard nothing about my car. As my imagination took flight with all the things that were wrong, the potential bill kept growing in my head. I finally got the phone call: it was a broken battery cable. The final bill: $20! (after Marcy's coupon) Whoo-Hoo!

What felt like impending doom at the end of my day ended up being a relatively nice surprise. Thank you CARx and Marcy's coupon clipping!

December Days - 12.5.10

As mentioned in a previous blog post, we have three different trees up as part of our Christmas decorations this year.  Having grown up in Oregon and having lived there for the majority of our lives, we took for granted living in the Christmas Tree capital of North America.  Everyone had real trees for Christmas and we used to have an annual family tradition of cutting down our own tree as a family outing. Our house was always filled with that fresh pine smell that was also taken for granted as an innate part of the holidays.

It's been four years since we've cut down our own tree and had that fresh pine smell fill the air of our home, but our Christmas Trees remain important parts of our holiday traditions.  This tree in particular is nothing special by itself, but the eclectic mix of ornaments date back to Marcy's and my childhood and are associated with memories throughout our lives.  They represent a journey we have been on and continue on, just as the wall print says next to the tree.

December Days - 12.4.10

Before moving to Indiana, the only thing we really knew about the Hoosier state was that basketball is a big deal and pretty popular. We didn't understand just how big of a deal and how popular though until our own boys started getting involved. For the past four years Caleb has been playing pretty regularly (it's the only sport he plays) and since Caeden started playing a couple years ago it has become his favorite sport too. It should be no surprise then that the youngest brother, Kyron, would develop an interest in basketball and want to play himself.

With the winter season, comes basketball season and today marked the day that Kyron had his very first organized basketball game. Maybe organized is taking it a bit too far... it was more like coaching chaos or 'herding cats'. The important thing is that Kyron had a great time and the experience lived up to the hype in his head. If anything, he looked great on the court and he was smiling the entire time!

December Days - 12.3.10

One of my favorite parts about Christmas is the music of the season.  In fact, I am a big believer that it is completely acceptable to listen to Christmas music anytime of the year. Admittedly though, it doesn't start to dominate my iPod until after Halloween.  That may seem a little early for some people, but why limit great music to just a few weeks out of the year?

So, understanding how much I enjoy Christmas music you can then understand my anticipation for tonight's Christmas concert at Northview Church.  It certainly helped build the excitement for the event knowing that Marcy was singing in the concert as well.  Kudos to the whole worship team who put on the concert.  The music was great and the technical elements were equally impressive, just check out the opening number for a sample of the evening:

December Days - 12.2.10

Our main Christmas tree in our house (we have three this year, but that's a topic for another blog) has an eclectic mix of ornaments and decorations, but each one has specific meaning and importance to an individual member of or the entire family.  New ornaments will make their appearance each year as reminders of special trips or experiences. As the tree is decorated each year, it's a bit of a game to count how many times someone says "oh, remember when..." as they see an ornament from years past that stirs a special memory.

I have a new and favorite ornament that I added to our tree this year, and frankly, I'm surprised how long it took me to get this particular ornament.  During our trip home to Oregon this summer, we made our annual trip to "Mecca" - for those not familiar with our family and food choices, "Mecca" is the Tillamook Cheese Factory.  As I walked through the gift shop eating a waffle cone of Tillamook's Oregon Strawberry Ice Cream, I found the ornament of ornaments and had to get it!  Today. it hangs proudly on our Christmas tree, front and center for all to see! After all, what is Christmas cheer without a little cheese?!

December Days - 12.1.10

Last December I spent the month committed to posting pictures and thoughts each day about my experiences and my family's experiences during the holiday season.  My hope was that during the busyness and stress of the holiday season the commitment to take pictures and post some thoughts each day would force me to slow down to appreciate the season.  It worked so well, I've decided to do it again.  So, consider this an invitation to journey through the holidays with me and my family and check in on us each day.

It is sort of fitting that on the first day of December we would wake up to snow.  Although not the official start of winter, in my head winter doesn't really start until December.  So when the kids woke up today to a dusting of snow on the ground it was fun to watch how excited they were.  Kyron was the most excited, planning his afternoon of sledding and snow ball fights.  There wasn't nearly that much snow to warrant that type of planning, but eventually the snow excitement turned to just plain goofiness before school and Kyron had us all laughing to start our day.  It's that goof ball type of fun that makes Kyron so much fun and makes the rest of us smile whenever he's around.

A Bitter Sweet Thanksgiving Day

As we celebrate another Thanksgiving holiday today, it is not lost on me how blessed I am and how blessed my family is.  This year represents a first for Marcy and I though, and as a result I can't help but feel bitter sweet about today.

In our fifteen years of being married, today represents our first Thanksgiving with just our family and no extended family.  It was very strange to be without either one of our parents or siblings around, but at the same time it was something special to have a quiet (as much as it can be in our house) day with just the six of us.  I am very thankful that we have such great family to miss though and look forward to seeing them all in just a few weeks.

As I found myself missing our Oregon and Washington family today, we all shared stories from Thanksgivings past about family.  I realized what an impact my Aunt Gail had on me and our Thanksgiving Day traditions within our family.  I didn't really have Grandparents that lived near me while I was growing up, the closest thing I had was my great-aunt and uncle, Gail and Bill, who lived a few hours from us.  We spent every Thanksgiving with them at their home in Hermiston, OR.  Food was always an emphasis, but not in the way it traditionally is.  I have never really liked turkey, so Thanksgiving day dinner has never really been a highlight for me, but my Aunt Gail put out a spread of food starting early in the morning and extending into the evening that we all just grazed on all day, to the point we were always stuffed by dinner time.  It's this type of snack food spread of cheese, crackers, dips, veggies, shrimp cocktail, etc that I think of when I think Thanksgiving.  Those were some of my favorite holiday memories, our family in Hermiston with my Aunt Gail and Uncle Bill.  

We continue this food tradition in our family today, and as I grazed on all the great food all day I was very thankful for my Aunt Gail and that her memory lives on through the holidays.  That we ALL could be so fortunate to have something as simple as a cheese ball carry on our legacy!

Dear Blog, I Miss You.

It's been three months since I last blogged and I have to say that I have been missing it. Life has been plenty busy, but I miss sitting down to reflect a little on life experiences. 

So, here's an early new year's resolution (although I'm not big on them in the first place), I will be better about taking time-out to blog because someday, someone may find these posts interesting (I'm talking to YOU: Makela, Caleb, Caeden, and Kyron!)

Happy 15 Years!

Today my wife and I are celebrating our 15th anniversary, and in celebration of 15 amazing years, I thought I'd list out 15 memories from our 15th years.  Happy Anniversary Marcella!  I love you!

1. Our Wedding Day - it's when the whole adventure started!
2. Our First Apartment - the thing should have been condemned before we lived there, I can't believe it's still standing today.  To this day, it may be our favorite place we've lived - something about the simplicity of having nothing.
3. The first time we tried to hang window blinds together - we were only married 2 weeks... someone should have told us how dangerous it was to try such a task during the early phases of our marriage.  We survived the ordeal though and she learned how to use a level, I learned that she's always right, and together we decided we'd tackle future similar household tasks as individual ventures.
4. Marcy's pregnancy with Makela - 9 months of build-up to how life won't ever be the same, worrying about whether or not we'll be good parents, late night caramel ice cream sundae runs to McDonalds, and the stress of bed rest. Talk about a bonding experience.
5. Makela's birth - Look out world, the Princess has arrived! Want to bond with your new baby girl Dads? Be the one who delivers her! It was amazing!
6. My Apendectomy - to this day one of the funnier (in hindsight) stories of our relationship
7. Caleb's birth - it was as though God decided the world need a miniature version of Me. I remember being freaked out that I didn't think I'd be able to love another baby as much as I loved Makela.  This is the first real miracle I feel I was a part of because somehow when Caleb was born, my heart doubled in size.  He didn't take a part of my heart away from Makela, they both were able to immediately have that equal share.  11 years later I am still in awe of that moment.
8. Disneyland Vacation - what a disaster! No one ever wants to see back stage at Disney from the inside of an ambulance with your 3 month old on the way to the hospital.
9. Our First House - it was perfect for us at that point in our lives.  We couldn't have asked for a better starter home.
10. Caeden's birth - Our one and only brown eyed baby. Almost 8 years later and he still smiles through those eyes.
11. Kyron's birth - the night started with a statement from the doctor of "Well this could be disasterous!" and ended with a beautiful baby boy and a family that had grown to "Party Size."
12. Moving to Beaverton, OR - it seemed like it was so far from all our family...little did we know what the future would bring.
13. Family vacation in Hawaii - what a disaster! Quote of the trip from one of the kids: "I hate Hawaii, can we go home?"
14. Moving to Indiana - now that's far away.
15. Living 2300 miles away from family - it's forced us to bond as a family of 6 and to rely on each other more

Thirty

Thirty (30) is a significant number.

It's an age that many people look to as an important milestone in their lives.  Some look forward to it, others dread and try to avoid it.

It's how many pieces of silver it took for Judas to betray Jesus.

It used to be, you couldn't trust anyone over it - coincidental it's the minimum age to be a US Senator?

It's a lot of points to score in a basketball game.

It's a lot of home runs to hit in an entire baseball season.

It's too big, if it's how many miles per hour you're driving through my neighborhood.

It's too many students for any of my kids classes in school (IMO).

Thirty (30) is all these things (and many more), but it's also how many times we've been fortunate to have Marcy's dad LaDyle - or Bumpy as the kids call him - visit us in Indiana!  Retirement has its perks and the free time to be able to fly across the country has been one that our family has been thankful for.  The fact that Bumpy's willing and wanting to travel that often for my kids says a lot about his commitment to our family.  There are a lot of places He could go with his free time, but He chooses to come spend it with us.  That fact has made it easier to transition to a Hoosier way of life.  This fall/winter makes four years for us in Indiana and although we miss all our family in Oregon everyday, we're thankful each time one of them are able to come visit us.

I dropped Bumpy off at the airport this morning rounding out trip number thirty to Indiana. This good-bye was a little easier for the kids though because trip number thirty-one is just 3 weeks away.  You'd think with all this travel between Oregon and Indiana we could convince someone to put a direct flight in!

A Beautiful Wedding

I recently had one of those experiences that made me feel old...I went to the wedding of the girl (now woman) who was the flower girl in our own wedding!  Ugh! I was excited to see her and her family ,who have been so special to us for such a long time, but fighting the reality that I am not as young as I once was.

Oregon summer evenings can be beautiful and this night lived up to all its potential.  The weather was perfect, and the outdoor location provided an intimate setting that allowed all the guests a good view of the couple and wedding party.  The bride's grandfather conducted the ceremony with poise representative of his  decades worth of experience, balanced with the pride and joy of a happy grandfather.  This was particularly special for Marcy and I as He married us 15 years ago.  The tempo of his speech, his enuciation of words and phrases, his mannerism, and the mere sound of his voice brought back memories of one of my happiest days in August of 1995. 

This evening was about something else though, and I don't mean the Bride and Groom.  These young people were coming together and using their wedding ceremony to begin a marriage union, but more importantly this was a celebration of their faith, their personal commitments to Christ, and celebration that through their marriage Christ would be honored and they would grow closer to their personal Savior.  The entire event was an expression of their faith and a sharing of their faith with friends and family.  I don't think I have ever attended or participated in a wedding ceremony where it was so evident that the joining of two people was entirely centered on personal and shared relationships with Jesus.  It was awesome to witness and humbling to be a part of. 

Their vows were the absolute best vows I have ever heard two people say to each other. Raw, honest, poetic, and emphatic of the importance of Christ as the focal point of their marriage; they were glimpses into the heart of their relationship and left those of us listening with no doubts they were on the right path.  I have always felt that Marcy and I did a great job with our vows, but after hearing Emily and Patrick's, I couldn't help but feel like I owed Marcy an apology that my vow wasn't that good!  I wish I had recorded them so I could play them for my own daughter as an example of what her Dad wants her to find in a relationship someday. Someday a LONG TIME FROM NOW! :-)

The Kirstein family were such important and positive influences in both Marcy's and my own life that it was very special to be there with them to celebrate this evening.  It was also a night of reunions as we reconnected with a special friend we hadn't seen in nearly 20 years..... and now I'm back to feeling old in that I have friends I can actually have gone 20 years without seeing.  Ugh!

Congratulations Emily and Patrick and thank you for allowing us to be a part of such a special night and an extra shout-out to Jaclyn for letting me use her photos!

Camping with the Family

I spent most of my childhood years camping as part of our annual family summer vacations. We went regularly with another family and most of my memories are great memories, or at least good enough that I want my own family to experience camping the way I did growing up. It wasn't just the fun of camping that was great for the family, we had our share of camping disasters too that years later remain bonding moments for those of us involved. I could fill pages and pages, in fact, with mishaps and funny stories from growing up camping, but I'll save those stories for another time.


It was with the fun times and great memories from years past that I approached last weekend. We went on our first camping trip as a family, and had with us great friends and their six kids. Counting our four kids, we were a party of four adults and ten children. Immediately, you're thinking: "You're crazy!" You'd be right, but I'm too close to the situation to think that clearly! My goal was for the kids to experience some of the fun that I had as a kid and break outside of our Carmel Bubble, as we call it.

We headed north to the Indiana Dunes on Friday evening after work and in hindsight it was too far and too late because we ended up setting camp late into the evening and in the dark. We woke up early in the morning to rain drops falling on our tent. "That's a bummer," I thought, but I didn't think much else until the rain began to increase and fall harder and faster. I tried to calm any anxiety in my tent by explaining that rain is just part of camping. A little water wasn't going to kill us, in fact it could end up being a little fun! The rain paused for a little bit, long enough to make some breakfast, and after cleaning up we decided to head to the lake (Michigan) and check out the beach we had heard so much about.


We arrived at the beach just in time for the rain to really start coming down. That didn't stop the kids from having fun and even jumping in for a swim in the rain. We hung out in the rain on the beach for an hour or so and headed back to camp soaked, head to toe.

We got back to camp with the rain still coming down and no end in sight according to the forecast. Flood Warnings had hit the area and we began talking about whether or not we should try and stick it out. It got worse when we went into our tent to find one of the boys had left one of the windows open and we now had water in the tent and wet sleeping bags to deal with. My optimistic, 'rain is just part of camping' attitude was giving way to frustration and disappointment. This isn't how our first camping trip was supposed to go!

All of a sudden, from outside our tent, we heard a cracking sound and then a loud thud/crash. I unzipped the door to the tent to see a tree branch had fallen on our friends' tent. I panicked at first, thinking they were inside, but as I moved closer I saw my friend standing outside and he said "Glad no one was in there!" The tree branch fell right through the top of the tent leaving a big hole that pretty much ruined the tent. That made the decision easy, we started to pack up and left the Dunes less than 18 hours after we arrived. Not much of a camping trip but, definitely a bonding experience for the family and friends. We left the campground with our clothes and gear soaking wet, bug bites over our entire bodies, and a collection of funny memories we'll share for a lifetime as our first camping experience.
The kids were definitely good for a few funny quotes:


"OMG! This is SO GROSS!" - Makela, while hand washing dishes. What a princess!


"Can we have some modern food?" - Caleb's criticism of our menu selection and cooking


"When are we going home?" - Kyron, 2 hours after arriving at the camp site.


"You're just going to leave me here to die!?" - Kyron's reaction after tucking him in for the night and before returning to the adults around the camp fire.


"Indiana bugs are meaner than Oregon bugs." - Ryon, after the local mosquitos and insects discovered Hawaiians taste better than Hoosiers

Not your typical Sports role model

I've been a sports fan my entire life.  I've grown up admiring sports figures and I am raising kids who are following firm in my footsteps.  As fans, we're drawn to the superstars that hit big shots or the perennial all-star with historical career stats.  We dream of being able to do the super human feats our sports icons are able to do, but most of the time have a difficult time relating to a professional athlete because their world seems so much different than our own.  We rarely have any idea what kind of person they really are, what their real character is and even if we should be admiring these people.  I try and remind my kids that in most cases we can admire their athletic talent, but we should be careful about trying to mimic everything about our professional sports heroes. They too, after all, are flawed people.   So are the officials and umpires, but in the chaos that ensued at the end of the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians baseball game last night a different kind of role model showed himself.

Umpire Jim Joyce made a huge blunder that cost Armando Galarraga, a pitcher for the Tigers, a perfect game, one of the most elusive feats in baseball.  Joyce called a runner safe on a play that he was clearly out and every replay angle confirmed that Joyce missed the call.  So all the talk on the radio this morning and into the afternoon centered around instant replay's role in baseball, and I can understand that being everyone's concern.  For me, however, the real surprise  and point of discussion around the evening's event came in how Joyce handled himself after the game.  Joyce acknowledged his mistake, acknowledged the impact it had on the game and Galarraga, apologized for his error, and accepted responsibility for his mistake.  He didn't just do this with his peers, but he went directly to Gallarraga and then to the media with humility and acceptance of his accountability to his actions.


It is an awesome example for others and especially for my kids.  It's been great fodder for conversations tonight about trying your best and accepting responsibilities for the results, good and bad.  It's hard to be willing to be held accountable for failures, but Joyce showed the courage and humility that it takes.  As a result, it could be argued that people have a lot more respect and higher regard for him today than they did before he screwed up baseball history.  We all make mistakes in our job and as we watched in amazement as Joyce made possibly the biggest of his career, many of us were sympathetic to his situation.  The professionalism he demonstrated and his character and integrity that has shown through in the past 24 hours have given evidence that there are more than just athletes to look up to in professional sports.